Demon Days
by Psykedactyl
Summary: Murdoc's never been the same since Noodle died, fifty years ago. He's lost touch with his demonic heritage, losing his powers and drifting slowly farther from his friends. As a therapeutic reprieve, Russel decides to send them all to mortal high school, where they fall straight into the trap of their worst enemy. Rated M for language and some slight sexual scenes later on. AU.
1. The Descent Into Hell is Easy

_Thrashing. I felt my rage as if from far away, like it almost didn't belong to me. I could faintly hear the sounds of slaughter in the background, but I was causing death at the same time. The heat in my veins was familiar. The smell of sulfur was almost welcoming. My victim stepped into my ring of fire, and I tore into him, smirking at his violent scream, signaling his death. He gurgled slightly, then went limp. Blood dripped down my chin, and I felt bloated with power. Everything was tinged a strange sort of red from the massive fires, the ones that got slowly bigger with every demon I drank from. I was losing control of my power, but I didn't care. Everything was searingly bright except for the black clouds encircling us from all sides. We'd suffocate soon if we didn't get out of here-the roof above us was slowly blurring, my eyes watering from the pricking sting. The realization made me look around frantically, searching for Rus, or Stu, or Noodle-_

_Oh God. Noodle. If anything happened to her-_

_-a blur of events flew by so fast, I lost track of what was happening, until-_

_-I dimly heard myself yelling her name, felt moisture on my face. Sweat or blood or molten tears, I didn't know anymore. They left a burning track in my skin, probably hot ash mixing with a bead of sweat. Worry and concern gnawed at my insides, and fear was seizing my heart, dimming my anger, and, consequently, the fires surrounding us. That was when I saw her._

_Her silhouette was so, so close. But so far. Close enough to see her shape clearly, but far enough that her features were blurred. She was running toward me, panting and calling my name in a moment of clear vision. A gust of smoke washed over her, concealing her details once again. Which, I guess was for the best, because now, they were everywhere, surrounding her-it happened so fast-_

I woke up gasping. The smells of my own personal hell were still surrounding me, choking off everything. I could hear the blood rushing through my ears, could see the ceiling above me. That wasn't good. I'd fallen asleep on my stomach, to make sure this didn't happen. I lurched onto my side, and the horrible smells and sounds vanished, leaving just a half-formed memory of something distant, something long gone, that I couldn't change. I pulled my alarm clock off its face, its digital green light filling the room. A flash of relief flooded through me, relief that I hadn't set the color to red before I'd gone to sleep. The clock read 2:30.

I groaned in my throat, putting it back down, the light disappearing. Everything was dark again, and I felt myself slipping back into sleep. The only thing I remembered before I went back under was the image of her being ripped in half. The end of the dream that I had avoided this time, but that I knew would come back before I woke up again.

**(*)(*)(*)**

I was at the table before anyone else woke up. Two cups of coffee in, some half-assed meditation attempts, and I had almost forgotten my most recent night of restless sleep. Currently I was having fun peeling off my glamours, my skin changing from a pale white to a sickly green, all at my command. Scars, a light, mint green, were semi-transparent on my skin. Scars of a life I'd left behind. Scars of a life that seemed to be haunting me in my nightmares.

I looked around the airy kitchen, taking in the sky blue wallpaper, the fridge against the wall, right of the laundry room door. The counter that enclosed the space broke into three segments; the segment after the fridge and before the stove, the smallest segment between the stove and the sink/dishwasher, and the segment that ended at the far wall, next to the back door, the segment with the little shelves underneath it for canned goods.

My gaze ended at the table I was sitting at, shoved into the little corner on the other side of the back door. Only three spaces were available to sit at-but then, we only needed three. The table was rectangular, one of the long ends shoved up against the wall, the short ends parallel to the side walls of the kitchen.

My back was to the right wall; well, if you were facing the back door, it would be to the right. To my immediate left and behind was the living room, dim in the shadows, octagonal in shape. If I stood and faced the living room doorwell (the door had gotten ripped off its hinges ages ago-long story), to the right of that was the small, black, spiraling staircase that led upstairs, to our consecutive bedrooms and bathrooms. My attention drifted back to the fading wallpaper, so I didn't hear when somebody clanked their way down the rickety metal stairs, stairs that reminded me of a fire escape.

"Muds?"

A blur of movement, a crash of a breaking coffe cup. My nerves were tighter than a wire this morning, because when I looked up, I saw 2D's throat in my hand, his empty eye sockets neutral. His feet were off the ground; I didn't realize just how much my control had snapped until I saw the empty space where his legs should have been. I dropped him-he straightened his brown jacket, his sailor stripes still wrinkled-and looked at me, one thick eyebrow rising above the other.

"Bad night, huh?" he asked, his English accent washing over me and making the strength in my legs melt. I nearly collapsed into a chair; I didn't use my strength often, and he knew I had an almost iron control over myself. His hand gripped my forearm firmly. "Was it her?"

My calf twitched. I didn't answer him. Even though he probably could have seen the answer in my face. He sighed, opening his mouth, revealing the places where I'd knocked out his two front teeth. "Muds, that was over fi-"

"What the HELL is goin' on down here?"

I groaned as the rough, Jersey-accented voice grated my eardrums to shreds. I tilted my head back, letting my limbs go limp. "Mornin' Rus," I sighed. I looked over at the stairs, seeing his big, muscly bulk descending. The entire metal structure shook with each step he took, his hulking frame almost too much for them to handle. His white eyes shone in stark contrast to his dark skin.

"Was that you?" he barked. I nodded, closing my eyes against their matching accusatory glares. I heard Russel thump into the chair farthest from me at the table-the one closest to the door-could feel his gaze piercing me. "You've gotta get it together, Murdoc," he whispered, his gruff tones turning soft, yet forceful. A wave of anger crashed over me, and I repressed the demonic urge, knowing it would be disastrous if I let it rampage through my body. These two were just trying to help, misguided as their attempts were.

My alarm clock upstairs went off, and I stood without having answered or looked at him, passing the door to the living room and putting my feet on the stairs. "I'm taking a shower," I grumbled, "don't bother me." I took the stairs two at a time, emerging into the long hallway that had four doors; only three of the rooms were occupied. I went to the one farthest down the hallway on the right side, nearly slamming the door behind me in my desperation to get away from all the memories.

Her door was right across from mine.

**(*)(*)(*)**

I nearly spit out my beverage. Choking, I forced my next question out of my throat, feeling nearly suffocated by my still-wet hair clinging to the back of my neck and temples. "What the hell did you just say?" My voice sounded like I'd gargled nails, not sipped the red blood that was occupying half my cup. My focus had been completely shattered; my glamours were down. I tried not to glance to my left and failed-the mirror on the living room wall had the reflection that I'd been avoiding for years. Black hair, green skin, one eye red, one eye black; but the worst was my mouth. My sharp, shark-like teeth were still pink-tinged. I looked away, swallowing my nausea.

"High school, is what I said," Russel continued, oblivious to my stirring stomach (I was going to kill him for glamouring the blood he'd given me) but not ignorant of my shattered illusions that I'd had for so many years. All three of us knew that it took a lot of focus for me to keep them up, more focus than it took them, and it took me longer than them to put them up, if they went down. Which is why I wore them 24/7. Slowly at first, I controlled my breathing, stretching the pale skin, blue eyes, and charcoal hair back over myself. "I think it's time we went back out into the world. Time we started interacting with people again. Murdoc's little episode this morning proved to me that we've been cooped up in this dimension way too long."

2D nodded his agreement. I almost slapped him. "Oh," I said, sarcastically, "and what if there's something so utterly shocking to me that my glamours fail and everybody sees a demon in the middle of their cafeteria, huh? What then, genius?"

I honestly thought I had them on that one. But I was wrong. Russel continued, making it obvious he'd thought of everything. "Nothing any humans could do would shock you that much, if you were in your right mind and had enough of your power at your disposal. Which is why I slipped you the blood. Even so, we'll put glamours the on you. It doesn't take us a lot of concentration to keep them up-barely any at all. It would be easy."

"And what if I decide I don't want to go? What if I decide I don't want the blood, don't want the power?"

"I'll make you go. I'll make you drink it. You're getting self destructive, Murdoc."

"You can't make me do anything," I said, smirking, letting my glamours drop so he'd get the point. "My magic is stronger than yours. You couldn't move me if you tried."

He looked at me, the challenge clear. The look in his eyes made it just as clear that the challenge was accepted. "You haven't used your magic in decades," he pointed out. "I doubt you even remember what it feels like to use it. And without blood, you don't have any magic. You haven't Hunted in two weeks."

My smile faltered. He was right. I didn't even light my cigarettes with magic anymore, the huge amounts it would take to fight him notwithstanding. And he was right on another account-my power was directly correlated to how much demon blood I consumed. The past week, I'd been too damn tired to Hunt any of them. And the last time I'd set anything on fire had been when Noodle-

No.

My shoulders sagged with grief. Russel took that as a sign that he'd won, which, I thought, let's face it, he has. "Fine. When will this little adventure start?" I asked, looking up again. He smiled; not a large smile, but a small one, which was a lot for him.

"I was thinking in two weeks."

**(*)(*)(*)**

_A gentle breeze was caressing my skin. _

_That should have been the first indicator that I needed to wake up, but I couldn't bring myself to. These past few weeks had been the first times I'd seen her face in what felt like forever. Even if they were just dreams, I was still seeing her. Still feeling her with me, close to me. I opened my eyes, seeing the top of her head against my chest, her purple hair being pulled by the wind that I'd missed so much. My arms were around her. She felt so real. I held her tighter, and she looked up._

_"What's wrong?" she asked, and her voice shattered my heart, but pieced it back together at the same time. It had been so long since I'd held her._

_"Just a feeling," I said, without volition. I realized this was a memory. I wasn't in control here. I knew what happened next, but I couldn't stop it now. It was too late._

_"What kind of feeling?" she asked, stepping away from me. Out of my arms. My heart shattered, looking at her beauty. Only her hands touched me now, her thin fingers gripping my biceps gently._

_"Something's happening, I know it is-"_

_A disgusted look came over her face. I wanted to take back my words. But I wasn't in control. "Murdoc, if you're going to worry about this so much, don't do it when we're together. This has been taken too far. For the past five years, you've brought this up every time, ruining the happiness I know we can have. I can't take this anymore." She stepped away from me. Started walking away. I grabbed her thin wrist, gently, because I was afraid I would shatter it. I was always scared of hurting her. But I was so scared, suddenly._

_"Noodle," I said, my voice nearly cracking. "Please. I love you."_

_She jerked out of my grasp. And walked away._

_The next time I saw her, she was surrounded by smoke, running toward me._

_Dying._

**(*)(*)(*)**

I swallowed deeply. The coppery taste of blood still coated my mouth, my throat. I felt too hot, like I was going to burn up from the inside. For the past week, Russel had made me go Hunting, making me gorge myself on two or three demons a night; way back when, this would have been a light night for Hunting, but now, it was almost too much for me to bear. Now my veins felt like they were going to melt.

Russel faced me in the enclosed space. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. The thousands of mirrors around us faded, becoming an empty meadow, the size of half an American football field. We'd gone to our basement; we could make it look however we wanted just by concentrating. It was much the same magic as glamours, which I wasn't very good at, so Russ got to pick the places, more often than not.

Russel snapped his eyes open, suddenly, and I put my guard up. It wasn't lost on me that he'd given himself the advantage, seeing as how we were surrounded by earth.

His fingers flicked.

Something hit me in the chest, something that felt like getting hit by an elephant. It knocked the wind out of me, but I didn't fall over, just dodged the next few boulders that flew my way. My instincts remembered how to dodge and defend. There were no openings for attack, no opportunities to incinerate this pesky enemy. Flames flickered at my fingertips, and my glamours dropped, my concentration shattered when a rock skimmed my cheek, drawing blood. Black droplets of it dripped onto my shirt.

I bent backwards slightly, predicting his next attack and seizing an opening. I flicked my fingers toward Russel, putting energy in my attack, intending a whip-like lash of fire to hit him and slice him open. The only thing that happened was a pathetic string of fire that stopped halfway to him. The brightness barely made me blink, but after it was gone, I doubled over, pain twisting in my abdomen. I curled up on the ground, hating myself for letting my power get this weak.

My vision was blurring around the edges, my breath and heartbeat whoosing and rushing through my ears, making me nauseous. Everything around me was swirling, then suddenly-

Hunger. Searing, burning, painful hunger, the likes of which I hadn't felt in ages. I shot up off the ground, so fast I saw a widening of eyes before I was on my prey, and-

I was flying across the meadow. I'd been tossed. But God, I was so, so hungry, I couldn't stand it. The shadows around me coalesced, and I was gone-

**(*)(*)(*)**

I woke up in my room. How I'd gotten there, I didn't know. I did know, however, that I hadn't dreamt of Noodle. I hadn't dreamt at all, and I felt so energized, so healthy. I jumped out of bed, stretching and moaning in pleasure when I felt my muscles stretch. I walked in the bathroom, dropping my clothes in a trail behind me, turning on the water to my usual temperature and frowning. The water was still cold, but that wasn't right. Seeing as how the hot was already turned all the way, I turned the cold off slowly, waiting for the water to feel just right. Only when it was completely off did it even contain a semblance of warm.

I shrugged off my confusion and hopped in. Looking down, I saw green skin-and almost screamed. It was scar-less. And ripped. I had chiseled, strong, flawless muscles. I didn't remember anything from last night, except blacking out after the nausea and pain dragged me under. I still felt ashamed after my pathetic attempts at magic had failed.

Twenty minutes later, and I was wearing something I hadn't in a long time-leather. Normally I wore ratty sweaters and sweatpants, but today I felt like mixing it up a little. Ripped jeans, AC/DC t-shirt, and my favorite leather jacket. My Cuban heels were on my feet for the first time in a long time, and I felt like-

I felt like myself. For the first time since Noodle died (I found myself being able to think the word without flinching away from it) I was...well, maybe not happy, but not as depressed as I usually was.

And I'll be honest...I was horny as hell.

The only question was, why was I feeling so spectacular, all of a sudden?

**(*)(*)(*)**

"I _what_?"

"You went on a demon-slaying rampage. I've never seen anything like it, Muds, it was horrifying but awe-inspiring at the same time. Russel wanted to stop you but I told him no, you needed this, as long as we made sure you didn't kill any people it was ok-"

"Stu, please," I said, putting my head in my hands. "Slow down."

His eyes widened. "Sorry, Muds, I just got excited, is all."

"S'alright, Faceache."

He smiled so wide I thought he'd split his lip. "Mudsy! You're back!" I saw him about to lunge forward and hug me, so I reacted on instinct. I held him back forcibly with my index finger. The squirt wasn't that strong, or maybe I just had my freakish strength back, I wasn't sure. Surely it took longer than one night to get my full set of demon powers back?

Russel's large footsteps clunked down the stairs, sending nails through my head. Everything was so enhanced now, like my senses had been turned up all the way. The slightest smells were so interesting, the smallest sounds so much louder. The feel of my fingers touching each other was sensual and rough, and I remembered my last dream about Noodle. How I'd had her in my arms, but it wasn't even close to this. Not even close. And now I'd never feel her again.

Russel stopped walking, and I looked up at him, smirking, knowing my teeth were sharp and menacing. Russel's eyes twinkled. "You know you killed ten demons last night? And drained every last one of them?"

I feigned nonchalance. "Not surprising."

Russel's eyebrows curved downward into a V. "I forgot how much of an ass you used to be."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw 2D hide a smile behind his coffee cup.

**(*)(*)(*)**

**Originally, this was just a teaser. Now, it's a story. Because one person reviewed and told me they'd read it, and one person's enough for me right now, considering I abandoned my other stories for years. (Sorry, btw.) This was on my old computer, and I remembered the plotline for it so I figured I'd re-write it and add to it 'n junk. **

**Reviews are much appreciated.**

**~Psyke**


	2. Et Nos Descendamus Lepus Foramen

The bell for lunch rang and I almost jumped out of my chair, nearly tackling a poor kid in my desperate need to get out of Bio1. Russel had been a genius and enrolled us in all-freshman classes, and I had been bored out of my mind all damn day. And it was only halfway through fourth period.

Here's how my day had gone so far;

8:25 - 9:15: Bell 1 - English 9, General; Room 110;  
We were informed of the curriculum we would be reading this year, which consisted of: _Night, _by Elie Wiesel (which I'd probably caused some of the poor guys' nightmares, so I didn't really want to relive WW2); _To Kill A Mockinbird _by Harper Lee (did I mention we were in American school? Yeah, good idea there, Russ old buddy); _Romeo & Juliet _by Shakespeare (Shakespeare was actually an interesting guy, if you got him drunk enough); and other various short stories, spritzed here and there with a few essays and projects along the way.

9:20 - 10:15: Bell 2 - Physical Education; Room 400;  
We weren't in an actual room. It was the gym. Tomorrow we'd be running a mile, which I'd have to toss in order to get an acceptable human time. Normally I could finish in about 3 minutes, but most of the chubby hicks wouldn't even finish in eight. I was going for six minutes, which was fast by freshman mortal standards, and downright laughable in the demon worlds I'd been born in. It meant slowing my pace by more than half, which I wasn't really happy about, but Russ had told me earlier that it had a point. I had to learn restraint again.

10:20 - 11:05: Bell 3 - Prep Center (also known as "study hall"); Cafeteria;  
In which I sat there and basically drooled myself into a coma for 55 consecutive minutes.

11:05 - 11:35: Bell 4 - Biology 1; I didn't even remember the damn room number;  
The class which I was suffering through now. At the end of third period, the 3 back-to-back lunch bells started. A lunch started at 11:05 and ended at 11:35. B lunch started at 11:35 and ended at 12:05. C lunch started at 12:05 and ended at 12:35. I had B lunch, which meant I had to come back to biology after sitting there and pretending to eat. The thought sent a shudder through me. No wonder I'd seen so many human teenagers skipping school and getting high. I wouldn't mind a break from it either.

I scanned the lunch room for Stu and Russ, dodging people who were just OHSOIMPATIENT to eat their damn lunches. I wanted to burn them all right on their asses, but refrained. The way Russ described them, they were brainwashed zombies, more or less. Much less interesting and intelligent than their demonic or seraphic counterparts.

Speaking of seraphic counterparts, I spotted two of them at the back end of the lunch room. I almost hadn't noticed them, because they'd cast strong glamours over themselves to blend in, as I know they'd done to me, too. They had to be strong to fool me while I was at full strength (which I was again). When I had all my demonic power, I could see through all but the strongest illusions. Apparently Russ and Stu's were only working at a distance, because the closer I got, the more normal they looked.

"Hey there, Dentface," I said, plopping into an unsturdy plastic chair next to them. 2D nodded, looking too exhausted to do anything more. I turned to Russ, who was busy meditating, most likely. His eyes were glazed over, and I could feel the string of magic around him, the familiar sensation washing over me and calming my wound-up nerves. Russel's glazed look faded, and he looked up at me. I opened my mouth to say a smart-ass comment, but his expression made me stop.

It was grief. And horror. And a brief, tenuous amazement.

I turned around.

It was Noodle.

**(*)(*)(*)**

A million sensations washed over me at once-terrorgriefheartbreaklovesadnessjoydisbelief- 

-all in the span of a mere second.

Millions of memories with her stirred my heart into beating for the first time in fifty years-

-the thudthudthudthud made my eardrums scream in protest.

If it weren't for Russel and 2D's glamours on me the humans would have seen-

-would have seen the monster I really am, the monster that would send them screeching and that would send an exorcist to the school, the one with greenskindemoneyesbatwingsbullhorns-

-because surely, SURELY, my control was snapping-

-but on the outside all I was showing was nothing.

**(*)(*)(*)**

She walked hesitantly, cautiously, beautifully, to our table, smiling in a way that broke my heart into a million pieces. The smile said that she was nervous. It said a million things at once; she was looking for a place to sit, she didn't want to draw attention to herself, she didn't want to get caught up in the cliques of high school drama-

-but most heartbreaking of all, the smile said that she didn't know us.

After The Fall, thousands of millions of years had passed, and we'd always known each other, always been with each other until fifty years ago when we'd thought she died. We knew each other like no one could ever know each other, the milleniums passing by into gray dust, Western Civilization taking over the world, new languages developing and progressing, us having to learn them all in our attempts to save humanity. I knew her heart, I knew her mind, I knew her soul; her hopes and dreams and driving actions, her little habits that practically enabled me to read her mind, the way her skin felt against mine. The feeling that there was no one else for us in the many dimensions that spread across the universe.

The way she used to love me like nobody else did.

The pain I'd felt when she'd walked away from me, from our relationship, that I had thought hurt worse than anything. The pain of her death, the millions of years of memories torturing me into madness, the darkest insanity that no one should ever have to experience consuming me, my identity, until there was a shadow of myself left to linger.

My heart broke again, but was whole again, because here she was, still walking, seemingly in slow motion because my mind was churning out the thoughts, my heart processing emotions in mere milliseconds, destroying itself in its effort to overwork itself before she got over here, before she talked to me like a stranger, before I would have to curl up into a ball emotionally and fake a smile and go back to a now even emptier than before biology class-

**(*)(*)(*)**

Seconds had passed and years had passed.

She was five steps away.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One...

"Do you mind if I sit here?" she asked, her familiar, lilting tones lifting my heart up so high it crashed and broke irrepairably, I was bleeding but I was smiling, everything was perfect everything was broken-

I pulled out a chair with a flourish, barely conscious of my body's actions. Her shoulder brushed my hand as I scooted in the chair for her, the metal legs making a screeching noise on the tile floor. That small, tiny touch sent a strong jolt of electricity up my arm, snapping me out of my delirium but thickening it at the same time. I felt like I was floating, I felt like I was falling. The pain was immense, the relief from the pain pure ecstasy.

She jumped. Had she felt that blazing inferno of touch, too?

She turned to me and smiled. "Gracias," she murmured, and I smiled back, almost without realizing it. I slapped myself mentally because I had to remember-

-she didn't remember me.

"De nada," I replied, automatically switching languages and regretting it soon after.

She got animated, then. "Hablas espanol?"

"Un poco."

"My name is Noodle," she said, turning to the others at the table. As if we didn't already know her name- "Thank you for letting me sit here. I just got here and I don't know anybody yet, today's my first day."

2D smiled adorably. At least, I saw it in her eyes-she thought he was adorable. Jealousy clenched my hands into fists and I shoved them under the table, smiling tightly and meeting Stu's eyes across the table. _Watch it, _I said with my gaze. His black holes where his eyes should have been said nothing, but they never did. "We're new here too," he said, his falsetto voice cracking. I knew he didn't do it on purpose but he was pushing his limits today on how pissed he could make me.

"Really?" she asked, suddenly excited.

I poked my way into the conversation, not too gently. "Yes," I said, adding, "I'm Murdoc. 2D's the skinny one, Russ's the one staring out the window like a loon." I kicked him to get his attention and he glared, growling. I didn't really care at the moment because her attention was turning towards me. Her green, deep, endless eyes were looking into mine and I felt the pull that I usually felt around her, but there was no return. She didn't remember me.

She didn't remember me. Maybe if I said it enough it would sink in.

**(*)(*)(*)**

Turns out she was coming back to biology with me and Stu-we were comparing schedules and my heart was thudding so fast I was almost sure she heard it. Walking down the hallways of this school was so unfamiliar, but being with her made me forget how awful it had seemed half an hour ago. But her...she was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, beautiful and strange, my only desire and my last desire at the same time. I was so sad but so happy, unsure if I wanted to cry or laugh. Her fingers touched mine again, but this time-

-there was no spark.

I only half processed Stu dismissing himself to use the restroom through my disappointment.

"We have English, Biology, and Spanish together," she said, smiling politely. I honestly wasn't sure what she thought of me just yet; her old habits were there but there were new habits too, things I'd never seen in her before that were throwing me off. I smiled back, making sure it wasn't an all teeth smile for fear I might run her off. I didn't want to lose her but I wanted to run away. Everything was upside down but everything was righting itself. All these contradictory emotions were going to make me lose it.

She looked down, blushing, and I wondered what I had done wrong. "Um," she murmured, "I know we just met and that it's strange to ask you this but..." What? That it feels like we've known each other forever? That every time I look in your eyes I want to kiss you and you want to kiss me back? That you remember everything and we can pick up where we left off? "...I don't know my way to any of my classes and I was wondering if you could show me to them, the ones we have together, at least...it would mean a lot to me..."

My heart skipped a beat. "For somebody as cute as you, I'll show you to all your classes, if you like," I said, smiling crookedly. Half my face wanted to frown, half wanted to smile, so they met in the middle. I realized how stupid I sounded and made it obvious I was playing. To my relief, she smiled.

"Oh, thank you, Murdoc," she said, sounding truly relieved. "And you're cute too," she added, smirking and punching me lightly in the chest. She walked towards class, and I looked after her-short purple hair, long sleeved tight shirt, small hips, muscled legs, confident walk-and for a second, I could believe that she was my Noodle, the one who loved me and who I loved without restraint.

But she wasn't my Noodle. I had to remember that.

But I couldn't stop remembering everything to remember.

**(*)(*)(*)**

Skip forward the last half of Biology and fifth bell Algebra, and you found me walking into sixth bell Spanish, with Noodle right next to me and my hands slicking up with sweat. This was one of the few classes I didn't have with Stu or Russ and I was alone with her, which was all I wanted but the only thing I didn't want.

God. I should start writing emo poetry.

She sat down in front of me and turned around, smiling an easy, open smile that I returned half-heartedly. My heart was burning itself up trying to process all these crazy emotions and it was so close to shutting down but then I would see her, and-

-I just now realized that I'd been rambling in my head since lunch.

This was going to be a long, long, LONG school year...

**(*)(*)(*)**

**If this chapter turns out to be really short, I'm sorry. It was supposed to feel like it happened in the blink of an eye, and Mudsy's not really that articulate at the moment. He'll be better next chapter.**

**Reviews always appreciated.**

**~Psyke**


	3. The Descent, Like the Ascent, Beckons

_Like the Ascent,_

_The Descent beckons._

Time leap: 2 weeks.

**(*)(*)(*)**

English, Biology, Spanish.

The only things that got me through my mediocre high school life anymore.

Even though she wasn't my Noodle, I found myself falling for her. For her little quirky habits, like how she chewed on her hair when she was bored and/or feeling artistic, or how she was more alert in Spanish than any other time of day. Her bright eyes always seemed to stare into my soul, and I found her blushing around me a lot when she said something smart, like she didn't want to show me who she really was.

I'd finally accepted that I didn't know her as well as I had the other Noodle. The other Noodle had been so much more serious, much less...

Alive.

I was starting to forget the pain I had felt over her, the misery that had clouded my mind ever since she'd been ripped brutally in half by demons I couldn't incinerate in time.

But hey. Even angels died.

Well. The Fallen ones did.

**(*)(*)(*)**

My hands were so slick with sweat, I was surprised I could even open my locker. Noodle was leaning, nonchalantly, against the locker immediately next to mine, all her intense, burning focus on me. I stuttered over my words a little bit.

"So uh, I was wondering if you'd, maybe...uh, wanna come over and study, sometime?" God. I was such a loser. _Just please don't let her realize that._

She smiled, a small, hesitant smile that made my heart race. "I was coming over to your house anyway," she said, and I frowned. She hurried on, obviously feeling guilty about something. What, I didn't know. But I had this awful twisty feeling in my gut. "2D asked me to come over to uh...to hang out."

My heart broke, but I barely noticed. I was so used to the feeling now that it barely affected me.

"Oh. Are you two, uh...?"

She blushed and looked down. "I know it's strange because you two are brothers, and you're my best friend and everything. I didn't want to come in between you two but...I really like him. I've never met anybody so nice or innocent."

Her best friend? Was that all I was? "Oh. Well, I'm happy for you two." I was _so _going to kick his ass into the next dimension over. Suddenly the pain in my chest got sharper, more consuming. I was always destined to lose her. I would never hold her again, never feel happy again... I felt my eyes start watering, the burn of molten tears threatening to overflow and burn tracks into my skin. I shut my locker and turned away, walking toward the bathroom; the one place I was certain she wouldn't follow me.

I heard her cries for me to wait, but I didn't care anymore.

She hadn't chosen me.

**(*)(*)(*)**

I started ignoring Noodle, for selfish purposes. I couldn't stand to look at her anymore. My heart was hurting too much for that, not that it was anything new. It just hadn't hurt this much in a long time, and I hated her because she had the power to harm me, the way nobody else could. I didn't walk her to our shared classes anymore, sat on the opposite side of the room from her in every one. I was doing the same with Stu. Never before had I felt so alone, even though it was self inflicted. I was just so tired of being hurt. Especially when it was by the people I was closest to...

My cell phone rang again, a blaring, headache inducing trill that made my eardrums ache. I looked at the ID. Noodle, again. I pressed the ignore call button and rolled over, staring a hole into the wall-literally. My gaze and anger were directing my power, and a smoldering dot of fire was expanding into the plaster, making the room stink like Hell.

My phone went off again.

_Ignore._

**(*)(*)(*)**

Oh God. There she was.

Glaring a void into my soul. Tears streaking down her face. She stalked toward me, and I looked for a place to run, or to hide. I was in a huge crowd of bodies, and if she wasn't staring straight at me I could use my shadow powers and Transport away from here. As it was, she was staring at me, stalking through the people, shoving them, if needed. Somebody shoved her back, and I pushed down my anger, taking advantage of the fact that she wasn't looking at me for a mere moment.

I slipped out of the bathroom upstairs, stalking to the English room dejectedly.

**(*)(*)(*)**

Time leap: 2 weeks.

**(*)(*)(*)**

Something slammed into my back, something that felt like a tiny boulder-and trust me, I'd fought Russel enough times to know exactly what that felt like. I turned around, a scowl on my face, and saw Noodle, tears streaming down her face.

"Did you know that 2D and I broke up a week ago? I bet not because you've been avoiding me for 3 weeks!" She punched me in the shoulder, hard. "I want to know why, Murdoc! I thought you were my friend! I thought you cared about me!"

My anger made me snap. "I do care about you, dammit! Why are you so blind? I've always cared, but never as a friend! But you won't choose me, you never will, and I won't stand around and watch you be happy with somebody else, Noodle, I can't."

And for the second time since I'd known her, I walked away, tears pooling, ignoring her cries for me to stay.

**(*)(*)(*)**

The deja vu was about to overwhelm me. My phone was ringing, it was Noodle, and I kept pressing ignore. Except, her calls were more insistent than usual. Maybe I should pick up...

I couldn't ignore this feeling in my gut anymore. She was calling me. It was important.

I picked up on the third ring.

"Murdoc?"

**(*)(*)(*)**

The red in the distance made my blood run cold, and I drove the car faster around the corners than I really should have. I pulled up in front of her house, the last of the fires dying down, and jumped out of the car, leaving it running and sprinting over to her, tapping her on the shoulder.

Her face was stained with tears.

Her parents' charred bodies were on carriers at her feet.

Her house was burned beyond recognition, a skeleton of what it used to be.

I pulled her into my arms and felt her shaking.

**(*)(*)(*)**

"You can stay in any room you want, except the one across the hall from mine. No one uses that room." I tried to be gentle, but the awkwardness in my voice had to be apparent. I wasn't sure how to act around her right now. I wasn't sure how to act around her, period. But the fear in her eyes made me scoot closer and pull her into my arms.

"Will you stay with me?" she whispered, heartbrokenly.

"Of course I will," I said, squeezing her gently, "of course I will."

**(*)(*)(*)**

She climbed into my bed hesitantly, next to me. I was in a t-shirt and shorts, for her comfort, and was sprawled on my back, arms behind my head. She crawled in next to me, in a borrowed t-shirt and pj pants, that were two or three sizes too big for her. Hesitantly, slowly, she laid her head on my chest, relaxing.

I don't know how much time passed before I fell asleep, but it seemed like a long time, but at the same time, so short.

**(*)(*)(*)**

Noodle stirred, and I woke up immediately, because...her leg was draped over my hips.

It was very hard not to get aroused.

As if she heard my thoughts, Noodle's eyelids fluttered, then opened slowly. She looked up, and-

Oh God. Calmdowncalmdowncalmdowncalmdowncalmdown.

My breathing was through the roof, my heartbeat was beating so damn fast, and she sat up suddenly, like she could feel it. Which, she probably could. She had been on my chest.

She blushed.

I blushed.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I shouldn't have asked to stay with you. Not after what I did."

I frowned. "You didn't do anything, Noods."

"I hurt you."

"I'm used to it."

"It still isn't right!"

I sat up, grabbing her face with my hands. "Noodle, you needed me. I came. I will always be here when you need me. Maybe not always when you want me, but ALWAYS when you need me."

"Why?" she whispered, eyes watering.

I swallowed.

"Because..."

"Because isn't an answer."

"Because I think I love you."

**(*)(*)(*)**

The street was dark. Nobody was near.

The plan was going perfectly, Lucifer thought, almost too perfectly. But then again, he'd been planning this for thousands of years. It had only been the last fifty years that it had been put into action, starting with the death of his son's lover, what was her name? Noodle? What an idiotic name to give someone, or even worse, to name yourself. Who would even think of something like that in the first place?

He shook his head, clearing it, turning to his lieutenant. She was a perfect replica of the girl he'd murdered fifty years ago, except she was so much colder. She was perfect. Electricity sparked from her fingers, and she smiled chillingly. He was so proud of her.

"Andromeda," he said, "burn."

The new Noodle's house caught on fire with zeal, her parents drugged into the deepest sleep he could produce with magic. They wouldn't even wake up when they started to burn, though they would feel every ounce of pain. Noodle, however, would survive.

He'd make sure of that.

It was all part of his plan.

**(*)(*)(*)**

**This is pretty much all I can churn out right now. I know it's short but oh well. Also it is supposed to be going sort of fast paced and choppy with the details. As in, I haven't been putting as many as the first chapter because frankly it's exhausting but oh well. It'll work out. Hopefully.**

**~Psyke**


	4. Deeper Into the Depths

Noodle's eyes met mine in alarm. "Murdoc, I don't know if I can-"

I rolled over. "It doesn't matter, Noodle. Go back to sleep."

She sighed, doing as I said, staying as far away from me as possible this time.

**(*)(*)(*)**

I woke up first in the morning, getting in the shower and turning the temperature all the way up, as usual. I plugged in my iPhone to my dock, blaring the music. It probably woke Noodle up, but at this point, I didn't really give a shit, to be honest. If I had to be a dick to stop myself from caring, then that's exactly what I would do. Even if it made her hate me.

Even as I thought this, I knew it wasn't true. But really, what else could I do? She didn't feel the same way about me. She probably never would, and I was going to be alone forever.

My thoughts drifted back to the emo poetry, and I groaned, stepping into the hot water and massaging shampoo into my hair.

**(*)(*)(*)**

I closed the bathroom door behind me, freezing when I heard a barely repressed squeak come from the bed. Looking over, I saw Noodle, the sheets up to her chest, her wide eyes on my bare chest. I didn't get what she was staring at, until I looked down and saw my scars had returned. They weren't green, because my glamours were up, but they were very, very visible, an almost silvery white against my pale skin. It had been a couple weeks since I'd Hunted. I looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

"What happened?" she whispered, and I shrugged, not really answering her. How could I tell her that these came from my dad, who, by the way, was literally Satan? There was no way she'd believe me. I wouldn't believe me if I was her. "Murdoc, you can tell me anything," she insisted, and I sighed, letting my shoulders droop.

"Abusive dad," I said, leaving it at that. I flinched when I felt her hand on my bare shoulder, turning me around.

"Is that why you said you're used to being hurt? Because I'm not your dad, Murdoc, you can't treat me like this because he did this to you. It's a completely different situation-" I jerked away from her, heart stinging.

"Shut up," I said, and she went pale. "You have no idea what you're talking about. You have no idea what I've been through. You can not _even imagine._ So don't lecture me on what I can or can't do, because reality is, you don't know me at all."

"I'm sorry," she said, voice numb. I didn't feel bad for what I'd said. Not even a little bit. Another little lie I decided to tell myself. "If you'd let me get to know you, I wouldn't say things like that. You're so closed up all the time."

"I've been hurt before, Noodle. It's hard to let people in." I turned back around, rifling through my drawers for a shirt, to cover up the scars that had started this fucked-up beyond words conversation.

"You don't really love me, you know."

I turned around, slowly this time. "And your reasoning for that deduction is...?"

"Love is give and take. In that order. You won't give me a piece of yourself because you're scared, I get it. You may care for me, but it isn't love. Love is when you trust someone with yourself, when you believe they won't hurt you. And neither of us feels that way towards each other, no matter how much we care."

Ouch. That stung. I leaned against the dresser, letting her words sink in. We stood there for hours, minutes, I'm not sure. Eventually I looked up and met her eyes. "You're right," I said. She looked surprised. "But I also know you're lying."

"I'm not lying-"

"Don't feed me that crap. I know you are. I saw you last night. You trusted me to take care of you, trusted _me, _no one else, to help you through this situation you're in." I stepped closer to her. "You made the right choice. I won't leave you alone. See, love is more than giving yourself to someone. Love is protecting that person, no matter the cost. And I've already failed at that once," I ended, stalking to the bedroom door and downstairs, to the basement where I could relax and forget all the memories she dredged up.

The memories of how I'd failed her, in another lifetime, in another world.

**(*)(*)(*)**

All four of us decided not to go to school for the next month or so. Noodle was the only one with a legitimate reason; when it came to Russel, Stu, and me, we were just tired of going just to go when we didn't need to. Noodle's parents had just died-the schoolboard didn't give a shit if she didn't go, because the people who made teenagers go to school in the first place at least realized that parents dying was a bad thing.

Noodle went to the funeral, to the service. Then she didn't really seem to care about much of anything, except pestering me and trying to bare my soul against my will. It was irritating, but deep down, a part of me was attracted by it.

We were in the middle of one of these conversations now.

"Murdoc, let me in already," she said, slamming her cup down on the table and letting her tears fall freely.

"You can't force it, Noodle," I answered, changing the channel on the TV. She stepped in front of it and I shut the damn thing off. There was nothing on anyway. "Honestly, you have no idea how hard it is for me."

"What did you mean when you said you'd failed to protect someone once?" I winced. She always got to the point fast, no bullshitting or beating around the bush. She sagged. "Just please be honest with me. I want to help you. I care about you."

My heart cracked open, just a little bit.

"There was this girl..."

**(*)(*)(*)**

"...the point is, she died, and I could have stopped it, but I was too slow. I failed. She died, and...and I've blamed myself ever since. That's why it's so hard to let people in, why I can't trust someone easily. I've hung onto my pain for so long, I don't want anyone else to have it, I guess. It's messed up. I'm messed up. Honestly you shouldn't be involved with me because I'm damaged beyond repair. You can't fix me, Noodle. Nobody can."

I looked up at my alarm clock. Damn. I'd been talking for hours, without even meaning to. Once I'd started, I couldn't stop, and she'd pulled me up to my bedroom when Stu and Russ got home, sitting me down on the bed and nodding to continue. Two hours later and I finally came up for air, and she was...she was crying. I felt horrible immediately after.

"I'm sorry, Noods," I said, reaching for her, then dropping my hands. "I didn't mean to." The lamest excuse in the book. "I'm sorry." I stood up, ready to go and leave her alone, because I figured that was what she wanted. She grabbed my wrists, holding me there. I didn't sit back down.

"I didn't know," she whispered, "I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. It must have been so hard for you to care about someone else after that and I went out with your brother, and I'm sorry, I didn't know, Murdoc, I'm sorry-"

I couldn't take it anymore.

I kissed her.

Unfortunately, she shoved me away, a shocked look on her face. This time my heart didn't even crack. I was so close to being over the whole heartbreak thing.

"I'm not ready," she said, simply. I nodded. I had to respect that, much as I didn't like it. I sat down next to her, falling back on my bed, arms crossed behind my head, tracing patterns on my ceiling with my eyes.

"Alright, your turn," I said, trying to fill the silence. "What's your backstory?"

**(*)(*)(*)**

Time leap: 2 weeks

**(*)(*)(*)**

Noodle had finally taken to sleeping near me again.

Thank God. I'd been having nightmares again recently, all of them about her dying, of course. Being able to wake up and see her there next to me was refreshing. It made my heart stop pounding sooner than it usually did. The urge to pull her into my arms nearly overwhelmed me every time, but I wanted her to make the first move this time, instead of me. Last time hadn't gone so well...

My heart gave a painful little squeeze. The memory of her lips on mine, so fresh in my brain, was painful. But at the same time, I was falling.

Scarily, terrifyingly.

I wondered if this was what it was like for the angels.

**(*)(*)(*)**

**Another short chapter but it's all I got.**

**~Psyke**


	5. Author's Note

**Hey guys. I have bad news. **

**This story will be on hiatus for a while. Because I'm writing another story with my friend on another account, called Daemones Intrinsecus, by Psyke-Noodle. Check it out. But I'm devoting everything I've got to that story, because the plot is beautiful in my mind. It's Murdoc/2D, so if you don't like that pairing don't read it. But for now, Demon Days is on hiatus.**

**Sorry guys :C**

**-Psyke**


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